Nudibranch sex - not for minors

[Puffer Fish]

Last year I happen across an event that happens once a year, for roughly 2 minutes. In talking with a nudibranch expert, it seems that the details of this event are, well, not exactly known.

The species is the Florida Regal sea Goddess, the location off of Destin Florida

It starts each year with them getting together in a big clump around May each year

This was taken a couple of years earlier:

 

[Puffer Fish]

On the particular dive, I saw a clump and as I was swimming over, the clump broke up and pairs of Nudibrach headed off in different directions.. I say pairs, but there was a lead one and one following.

About 5 -7 ft from the ball location, the lead one of the pair I was following stopped, the back one joined it:

As you can see, this is a very public place.

 

[Puffer Fish]

They sort of, well, hugged each other and somehow produced a off white mass:

 

[Puffer Fish]

The lump got passed between them.. with first one having it and then the other:

Note: Something bad happened as this image was being taken, as there was a cloud of something in the water between them.

 

[Puffer Fish]

When each one had the lump, they sort of kneaded it (the left side one has it underneath right now).

 

[Puffer Fish]

Now the right one has it:

 

[Puffer Fish]

At around 2 minutes of this fun, one of them takes the lump and heads out.. the other stays put, and rested (the one with the lump is in the background).

 

[Puffer Fish]

I got distracted by a nearby batfish, and was not paying attention, until I saw the one with the lump doing something with it at a hole... I switched the camera back to macro, and moved the strobes back in, but it had already pushed the lump up under the lip of the hole it found:

It then backed out and went on its way.

 

[Puffer Fish]

So that is it..2 minutes of squishy fun and then wait for next year.

To the best of my knowledge, this process has not been photographed before.

 

[Cave Diver]

an event that happens once a year, for roughly 2 minutes.

I tried to tell those crazy kids this is what happens when you get married, but would they listen? Nooooo....

To the best of my knowledge, this process has not been photographed before.

That's awesome. Did you turn your shots into any of the experts on this for reference?